Portobello Sausage with Eggplant and Umeboshi Paste

You can use portobellos as a delicious meat alternative. This portobello sausage with eggplant, umeboshi, almonds, and pumpkin seeds is packed with flavor.

Portobello mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms belong to the Agaricus bisporus mushroom species and have a mild aroma similar to that of almonds. The stem yields to light pressure and the flesh turns light brown when a fresh cut is made. Portobello mushrooms thrive worldwide in fields and grassy areas and are harvested from June through October. They can be eaten raw but should not be confused with poisonous mushrooms like the deadly destroying angel (Amanita), Agaricus xanthodermus, or the Entoloma sinuatum.

Umeboshi paste: Umeboshi is a paste made from ume fruit pickled in sea salt and shiso and then dried. The paste is salty with fruity and sour notes. You can add it to salad dressings, dips, sushi rolls, and tofu and vegetable dishes. Umeboshi has been a fixture in Japanese cooking for centuries, where it is used as food and a naturopathic remedy. Additional information is available by clicking on the ingredient.

Soaking nuts and seeds: Nuts, grains, and seeds have notable levels of phytic acid which binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and prevents these nutrients from being absorbed. If you consume large amounts of raw nuts and seeds, then soaking will improve your ability to digest them. Soaking and sprouting reduces the amounts of these enzyme inhibitors and increases the number of healthy enzymes. Phytic acid safeguards the seeds until germination, when it becomes available to the young plants. The author recommends soaking the almonds and pumpkin seeds up to 12 hours; you can use a shorter soaking time if you like.

Nama shoyu: Tamari and soy sauce both contain soy beans, water, and sea salt. However, in contrast to tamari, nama shoyu (also referred to as nama-shoyu or kijōyu, 生醤油) also contains wheat or rice and is unpasteurized. It is filtered at the end of the fermenting process instead of being heated, which is why we often use it in raw food recipes. Nama shoyu is rich in enzymes and is thought to have a fresher flavor. We don’t consider soy sauce to be raw. Soybeans are generally heated at the start of the production process to destroy phasin, which is toxic to humans.

Buying and storing eggplant: Ripe eggplants are plump and have a satiny, dark surface that gives slightly to pressure. Avoid eggplants that have brown spots or shriveled skin. The flesh of eggplants should be white with pale seeds. Specimens that have been stored too long or are overripe will have dark, discolored flesh with holes. Avoid storing your eggplant in the refrigerator for an extended length of time; this will cause brown spots to develop on the skin after a few days. Eggplants remain at their best when stored at temperatures between 10 °C and 12 °C. They will continue to ripen after harvest, so they should not be stored with apples or tomatoes.

Cleaning mushrooms: Clean dry mushrooms using a brush. Remove heavy dirt by washing the mushrooms under running water. Never wash mushrooms by soaking them in water as they will absorb the liquid. To prevent mushrooms from spoiling too quickly, store them in a place protected from heat and moisture.

Reducing salt and fat: We recommend using minimal amounts of salt and oil for health reasons. For additional information about this topic, please see our detailed book review of “Salt Sugar Fat” by Michael Moss. The relatively high salt content in this recipe is because of the soy sauce which has a 5–6 % sodium content.

Small mushrooms: You can substitute small white button mushrooms or brown mushrooms for portobello mushrooms.